Dark Calling (68 page)

***

Lila takes Nick’s hand.  She gives it a firm squeeze.  “I love you, Icky.”

“It’s not over yet.  Don’t get mushy on me.”

The Demons keep coming.  More join the
others as they move to circle around, enclosing them in.  Beyond that, Bryon rushes in their direction, Israfil beside him.  Lila looks at her brother. 
She can’t reload quickly enough
and Bryon will never make it in time.  “I love you,” she says again.  “I need you to know that.”

“I do,” he says.  He pushes her behind him.  “I love you too.”

“This is
no time for goodbyes.  You’re a warrior.  Fight,” Elijah yells.”

Nick nods and jabs his dagger into the chest of the closest Demon.  It smiles at him as bloo
d trickles from its mouth.  L
icks its lips and laughs.  Lifts a finger, moving it side to side while shaking its head.

Bryon throws his sword, it hits its mark.  The tip of the sword comes through the Demons chest, nearly touching Nick’s. 
Kicking his foot up, Nick pushes the sword back out and knocks the Demon down.  He rolls it over and grabs the sword from the ground.  Slices into the neck of the creature next to him.

Elijah swings his sword, cutting off a misshapen arm of another.  Spinning himself, he swings again severing the other arm.  Kicks the Demon away from him.  It falls to the ground flailing its legs.

Israfil brings
his arms out at his sides and tackles two Demons at once, knocking them to the ground.  He flips his blade and stabs it into the back of one.  Twists it.  The spine breaks free of the flesh, pulling away with the
sword.  He
raises his eyebrows and shakes it off.

One by one, the Demons begin to disappear.  Blinking out in a
n
aura of darkness.

Ni
ck looks around before cocking his
brow
s
.  He
gazes at Lila.  “Did their time run out?”

“I don’t think so.”  She breathes
quickly
in and out.  Across the grounds, Lila makes e
ye contact with Micah.  He turns and says something to Ramuell and their heads turn in the direction of Mount Zion.  A cold pang sits in Lila’s stomach.  She twists and runs for the building.
 

Her feet falter when she sees him.  She should have killed him when she had the chance.  Lila screams his name
,
certain of his intent.  Dustin’s body jerks.  He spins around.  “Stay back Lila.”

She doesn’t stop, but she slows.  Walks hesitantly up the steps, her hands out in front of her.  “What are you doing?”  Her eyes flick to Keely’s unconscious body.

“I’m making things right,” Dustin spits.

“How?”  Lila steps silently
,
leaving little space between them.

“Look, Lila.  I love you.  I have loved you from the very first time I saw you.  I wanted a life with you.  I wanted to marry you.”  He
jabs his finger in the air, pointing
at Keely.  “She took it all.”  His voice is quietly pained.  “She has to pay.”

“She has, Dusty.  Look at her.”  He turns and glances at Keely.  Lila raises her gun.  Rock salt won
’t do much to a human, but it’
ll hurt like hell.  She aims for his back.  Pulls the trigger.  Dustin grunts and
staggers a step.  He spins, face contorted with pain and confusion.  He wrenches the gun from her hand and throws it.

“Why did you do that?  How can you turn on me?  Everything I did, I did for you.  Because I love you.”

“You don’t love me, Dustin.  You just think you do.  This isn’t love.  This is insanity.”

“No, Lila.  Don’t say that.  You are my whole life.”

Lila shakes her head.  “I can’t be anymore.  I’m done.  You’ve lost it.”

Dustin takes her arm.  “After she’s gone, everything will be all right.  You’ll love me again.”

Lila tugs away from him.  “I will never love you again.  That time has passed.  I don’t even recognize you anymore.  You’re a stranger.  A psychotic stranger.”

He rips the bandage from his eye.  Hits himself in the face.  Lila’s eyes go big.  She
steps back and Dustin flies at her.  Wraps his arms around her.  “Look at me.  Look what she made me.  This is why you can’t love me.”

“No,” Lila cries.  She struggles to get away. 

“Take your hands off of her,” Micah shouts.

Dustin stiffens.  “Who the hell are you?”  He glances from Micah to Lila.  “Are you cheating on me?”

“I—no.  I can’t cheat on
you, Dusty.  We aren’t together
and Micah is an Angel.  He’s Keely’s Guardian.”

Dustin straightens and turns to face Micah.  “Then I’
ll have to kill him too.”

Micah raises his sword.  He looks past Dustin to Lila.  “I’m very sorry,” he says quietly, his voice full of remorse.  The expression on his face
is the mirror image of the on
e he wore earlier when she
asked him about the prophecy
.  A
nd Lila knows Dustin is about to die.  She moves away quickly, averting her eyes.

Dustin hurls himself
at Micah and it’s over.  Micah puts his arm around Dustin like embracing him in a hug.  With a sigh, Dustin’s eyes close and Micah pulls the sword
from his heart
.  “My father will forgive.  Peace be with you.”

Bryon runs past Micah and kneels next to Keely.  He brushes the hair from her face and she groans
. 
“Keely, you o.k.?”

She licks her lips and tries to open her heavy eyes.  “Come on Kiem.  Let me see those pretty greens.”

“Where is Ramuell?” Israfil asks.

“I don’t know,” Elijah answers.

“Keely?”  Nick is slow to get up the steps.  He lowers himself next to her and c
aresses her face.  “What’d he do to
her?”

“I don’t know,” Bryon says tightly.

Ramuell comes up behind the group.  “She did it.  The prophecy has been fulfilled.”

“She needs a hospital.  How do we get back?”
Bryon says.

“
I believe that is where I come in.”

Everyone turns toward the small voice. 
A little boy stands just before
the door
way
.  His dark almond shaped eyes innocently regard them.  “My King has sen
t me to transport you home.  I was
told the girl is to go first.”  He points a chubby finger at Keely. 

“Who?” Bryon asks.

“King Asmoday,” the boy replies.  He moves his silky black hair out of his eyes and walks over to Keely.  “She’s pretty.”

Nick touches the boy’s arm.  “Take her to Hunt Memorial Hospital.”  The boy nods and he and Keely disappear.

Epilogue
:

Keely puts the last of her clothes in her drawer.  Hands on hips, she shifts, taking in
her room at the Academy.  She’
s made it her own.  Pictures of her parents.  Posters of her favori
te bands.  Her own bedspread.  The
st
uffed animal Bryon gave her during her short stent at the hospital
after her leg surgery.  She rubs at the brace over
her
knee.  Another scar added to her body.
 

Keely texts her mom and let’s her know she’s settled in all right.  Things have been strained since Keely decided to move to the Academy
, not that things were great prior.
  Her mom was passionately agains
t the move, b
ut Keely was determined.  After all, she has a plan.
  S
he needs access to the Grimoire
and the only way to do that is to be here.  She will be a good l
ittle Doyenne.  Learn
to use her accolades
and train to become a warrior.  Educate herself in anything and everything that has to d
o with who she is.
And the first chance she gets, she will search the Grimoire for
some way to get Asmoday out of the Demon realms
. 

Right now, she is a shell.  Her i
nside is missing.  She doesn’t know what she needs to fill the void, but she knows in her heart it has something to do with Asmoday.  Maybe it’s because the cord binding them has never s
evered.  Keely thinks it may be
because they unknowingly sealed the bond.  Regardless, she can’t leave him there.  She told him she’d come back for him if there was any way possible and she is determined to find it.

Someone
knocks
.  Nick
smiles at Keely when she opens the door
.  “Hey.  I just wanted to check on you.”

She moves out of the way so he can come in.  He kisses her cheek.  “So, how are you doing?”

She plops down on her bed.  “You mean since yesterday?  I’m good.”

Nick stares at her.  “You’re not good.  You’re miserable.”  He sits beside her.  Puts his arm around her.  “It will get better.  Easier at least.  Over time.”

Keely wiggles out of his embrace and stands up.  Paces in front of him.  “Better?  Easier?  You just don’t understand.  I wish you could.  Something is different in me, Nick.  I don’t want it to get better or easier.  I’m so…”

“Sad.”

“And angry.”

Nick nods.  His phone sounds in his pocket, a steady buzzing.  “Sorry.”  He takes
it out and looks at the caller I.D
.  His eyes go wide and he closes himself in Keely’s bathroom.  She can hear his hushed voice on the other side
of the door
.
After only a moment, Nick comes back into the room.  “I’ll take care of it
,” he says to the person on the line.
Turning away from her, h
e ends the call and pushes the phone back into his pocket.  Presses his thumb and finger against his eyes.  Takes a deep breath. 

“Who was that on the
phone?” Keely asks
.

He whirls on her and sh
e stops dead in her tracts.  “I’
ve tried t
o be understanding,” Nick says.
 
“
I have been patient.  I mean, I thought you were going through this terrible depression because that cord, or whatever you call it, broke.  I assumed that’s what this is.”  He gestures at h
er.  “I could deal with that, b
ut
it didn’t break.  Did it?  You’
re still tied to him, aren’t you?” 

Keely looks away, but Nick isn’t allowing that.  He won’t let her hide anymore.  He pulls her chin so she is facing him again.

“I don’t kn
ow what hurts more.  That you’
ve been in this misery be
cause you miss him, or that you love him so much y
ou’
re willing to put yourself in danger just
to be with him.”

“It was him?  Asmoday called you?”

Nick glowers at her
.  “Yes.  He could feel your intentions to go back to the Demon realm.  He w
anted me to stop you.
  He doesn’t want you to go back.  Don’t you get that?  Whatever you had with him is over.
”  He sh
akes his head.  He c
an’t even look at her an
ymore.  “
I can’t compete.  I won’t. 
I can’t alway
s wonder if you’re going to put
yourself
in danger
.  I love you, but this is too much.  Especially when you can’t love me back.”  He pauses, gives her a chance to say something, to protest, to stop him.

“I do love you, Nick.  I just love him too.  And…”

“And?”

Well, if she’s going to be honest, she might as well spill it all.  “I love Bryon too.  I didn’t mean to love anyone.  It just happened and I’m so confused.”

“Well, let me help you out.  I’m done.  You can just worry about two guys now.”

“I just need time.  Please.”

He shrugs.  “Take all the time you need, but
don’t you dare come to me unless
you know for certain. 
Unless
you know you only want me. 
I don’t share people.  I want you to myself.  If you can’t do that, just…just stay away.
”

“Will you still be my Guardian?”
Keely asks, panicked.

“
I swore to protect you.  I always will.”  He
closes his eyes and
kisses her forehead
, his lips lingering on her skin
.  “Goodbye, Keely.” 
 

Nick opens the door, nearly runs into Bryon.

“Hey, man.  What’s up?”  Nick brushes past him without responding.  Bryon gives Keely a look and shuts the door.
“What’
d I miss?”